Is Your Love Strong Enough?
by IconofSelfIndulgence
Summary: AU. This is the story of how Sanji and Zoro met, fell in love, and broke apart in a world filled with sex, drugs, alcohol, and lies. Will these two overcome the odds, or will their rift be too big to repair? Title inspiration is from ending credits of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. ZoSan, SaNa, ZoNa, ZoNaSan, AceSan, ZoroxYosakuxJohnny, one-sided GinxSanji.
1. I Need a Doctor

A/N: This is the story I have been wanting to write for ages. It is based off an old RP I did years ago with my Zoro, but nonetheless it has taking a different path and turned into this - an emotional story of a love between two broken souls.

Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece. If I did, I would live in the Thousand Sunny museum and would ride it all along the New World while drawing the manga ... But, I do own this concept and the two beautiful baby boys that you will see grow into independent young men.

* * *

_**"I'm about to lose my mind.  
****You've been gone for so long, I'm running out of time.  
****I need a doctor, doctor.  
Call me a doctor, doctor to bring me back to** **life."**_

This was ridiculous.

That was the only thing on Sanji's mind right now as he lay on the couch in the therapist's office. Hell, he didn't even want to be there, but Zeff had threatened to fire him if he didn't get any help for his "problem." The blond rolled his eyes; this wasn't even his fault. He didn't wish for his life to turn out this way … it just kind of happened. Now Sanji was trying to pick up the broken pieces, hoping to keep his family together before it was too late. He brushed his fingers through his bangs, waiting for Dr. Law to finally say something. The silence was killing him, was eating him inside out. He felt a nervous twitch in his hand, and he longed to talk. That was his number one flaw: he spoke too much. Now while he was supposed to be "reflecting on the issue" as the emo-looking therapist put it, he felt anxious and out of his comfort zone. Finally, he broke his staring competition with the ceiling and turned his head to the young doctor sitting in a chair across from him.

The man had to be no older than him – and _he _was pushing forty. But, Sanji had to say that Doctor Trafalgar Law looked good for his age. Hell, he still looked like he was in his early thirties at best. A furry hat with random-placed spots complimented the suit he was wearing, and Sanji swore he saw tattoos on the guy's hands. They allowed that with doctors now? He'd have to ask Chopper, because the image was strange. Not only that, but the therapist also had dark bags under his eyes – but it looked more like eye shadow than fatigue if you asked him. What was Zeff thinking when he recommended this guy? He looked like he should be in a band, not listening to people's problems.

"You sure you're qualified for this?" Sanji asked aloud and then mentally kicked himself for being so disrespectful. The man had a plethora of degrees and certificates hanging all over the walls! Sanji's mouth was getting him in trouble yet again, but he didn't change his facial expression as he waited for the other to answer.

His reply was a chuckle. "Mr. Roronoa-Black, I assure you that you're in good hands. I trained under the masters of psychology. My mentor was Dr. Doflamingo himself." Though, Law seemed to be a little hesitant to reveal his teacher's name, because everyone knew that Doflamingo turned out to be a psychopath who drove his patients to madness and suicide. In spite of the man's contributions to psychology, he turned out to be some crazy motherfucker, and Sanji didn't feel comfortable having his trainee as his therapist. Dr. Law sensed his discomfort and cleared his throat, "When I was studying under him, he showed no signs of his illness." He paused, adding thoughtfully, "_He _would be the one to know how to mask that sort of thing."

Sanji still made a face and turned back to the ceiling, which proved to be much safer than this potential madman he was about to spill his life's story to. "T'ch. If you start doing that mumbo jumbo mind control shit on me, I'll kick your ass." At this statement, Law scribbled something on his pad. Even though he was only seeing it from his peripherals, Sanji knew that was going to bug him through the entirety of this session.

"Noted, Mr. R—"

"Please, just call me Sanji." He sighed. Hearing his full married last name made him feel the knife in his back. _Roronoa-Black. _They had finally gotten married, but that was when things changed for the worst. Sanji slumped against the couch even more, trying to sink into it, not wanting to go through with this hour-long torture session.

"Very well, Sanji-san." Dr. Law smiled at him, though, with a gentle kindness that Sanji hadn't seen in years from a soul in this god-forsaken place. "Where would you like to begin? I won't force you to reveal information, but I will ask some questions throughout your story."

Sanji swallowed, staring up at that ceiling as if waiting for a god to come down and smite him. Did he really have to go through with this? He exhaled a deep breath and let his eyes close, letting the feeling of defeat wash over him as he relived his memories. "I was in my early twenties I got my job at the Baratie." He said slowly, trying to get the details right. "Zeff, the owner, was my foster father – don't ask about my parents, 'coz all I know is they abandoned me and I don't care about them – and my mentor. He helped pay for culinary school so I could take up a cooking position at his restaurant as soon as possible. He was a good Dad; a little rough, but there's nothing wrong with tough love, eh?" He chuckled ruefully. Tough love was better than no love at all.

"Do you enjoy your position at the Baratie?" Dr. Law asked, writing on that damn pad again. At least Sanji couldn't see it, but he could hear the scratching of the pen against the paper. It was like a curse – maybe it was paranoia. No, it was definitely paranoia; he didn't want to be judged.

"Well – _I did_. Before the bastard told me to take some time off." He quickly added, "I'll get to that," before Law could ask why. "Anyway – I was making decent money as a chef at one of the biggest restaurants in the fucking country, you know? But I was young and stupid, and I wanted to live a little more than comfortably. So instead of asking dear ol' dad for a raise, I decided to get another part-time job that I could do while I was off shift from the restaurant. There's this place called _Thriller Bark_, you heard of it?" He cracked an eye open to glance at the doctor.

"I don't think I have," Law said after pondering for a second. Then, he snapped his fingers. "Ah, yes, I believe Eustass has spoken about it before. It's a club, yes?"

"Mm," Sanji hummed in agreement, "but it's a little more than that. It's got a downstairs stripper joint. The place is for freaks, so the show is combined – men and women strippers. For everyone of every sexual orientation, you know? Anyway, I was a handsome boy, and I was arrogant, so I figured this job would be a piece of cake. Moria hired me with one glance, but I gave him a condition: I wasn't some regular stripper. I did special weekend shows, since I had other obligations. The greedy fuck agreed, knowing he'd probably get more money that way – especially since his marketing guy, Hogback, was a fucking genius."

"So you became a part-time stripper." Law repeated, taking the time to write another sentence on his paper.

"Yep. Didn't even know it was possible, to be honest, but I sing a good song when I need to. I became quite a hit at Thriller Bark, attracting more and more customers as each weekend passed. I did my shows on Fridays and Saturdays, late, after my shifts at Baratie. But once I was there for a little while, I became acquainted with a couple of the other strippers – the regulars, as I dubbed them. There was this beautiful woman with bright orange hair and enchanting eyes," He could still imagine every inch about her, her touch, her smell, "Her name was Nami Mikan, and she was everything I dreamed about in a woman. She was smart, funny, and she was talented. She assisted Moria with the money; she had gone to college for accounting, but she needed some money to pay off the debts, so that was why she was at Thriller. To be frank, I think I was in love at first sight…"

~ back then ~

"_Your performance was top notch, Nami-swan~!" Sanji cooed from backstage as the woman left the stage clad in her silk robe. She was mostly naked underneath Sanji knew, and he could see her perky nipples from under the cloth covering her. He clapped his hands together, "I could only hope that one day you will give me a private performance!" He sighed dreamily._

_But he wasn't far off from the mark when Nami grabbed his wrist, "Ne, Sanji-kun, come to a back room with me?" She turned to look at him, a seductive smirk on her lips as she pulled him with her. On her way past the (un)dressing rooms, she let go of him for a brief moment to grab a bottle of whiskey. "I've wanted to have you for weeks, but I didn't know when the right time would be …" She said when she returned, winking as she held up the liquor. _

"_For weeks! I'm honored, Nami-san," Sanji could tell that he was blushing, and he laughed as she pulled him into one of the bedrooms set up for private shows, among other things…_

~ and now ~

"Prostitution as well?" Law asked with slightly widened eyes.

Sanji shrugged his shoulders before commenting, "Moria was all buddy-buddy with the police, so they didn't bother with his illegal practices. I never sold my body, but I knew Nami-san did. She needed the extra money, while I was content with the money I made from the stripping. She was clean though and always careful – with everyone but me, really." He could feel the sweat on his forehead as he let that thought linger in his head. "After that day, we had sex frequently. Some called us lovers. She would come meet me after work some nights, and we'd go out for coffee or something. Our relationship grew, but neither of us spoke of making anything official. It was just us, and it was what we wanted." He couldn't help but smile, feeling his eyes glaze over as he continued to stare at the white ceiling.

"Did you love her?" Law asked gently, placing the pen down.

"More than I realized at the time."

~ back then ~

_It was late on a Thursday night, but Nami had conned herself out of the show. She and Sanji had promised to go on a date, and there was something on the ginger's mind. She stood across the street from the Baratie, hugging her chest with one arm as she tucked some hair behind her ear. A couple of days ago, she had gone to the doctor, only to find out some … interesting news. She closed her eyes and sighed, wondering when Sanji would get off his shift already. It had already been nearly a half hour since he was supposed to get off. Had he forgotten her already? They had been doing this for over a year now – whatever _this_ was. She almost got the feeling from him that he wanted to marry her, but those thoughts were far from her mind. She could never commit herself to something like that, even though there was enough reason to._

_Finally, the blond stepped out from the alleyway; he must have exited through the back entrance. She smiled and waved over to him, "Sanji-kun! Over here," She called out, grabbing his attention. The cook plucked the cigarette from in between his lips and tossed it into the street before rushing across and pulling her into a big hug._

"_What a sight for sore eyes!" He said, nuzzling his face into her neck. "You would not believe the day I had." Sanji sighed, slumping his shoulders a bit. "He works me so hard sometimes. I think he forgets I'm human sometimes…."_

She rubbed his back, pulling him closer. Nami could hear his exhaustion in his voice alone, but she was worried about him. Sometimes, Zeff did work him too hard; she had seen the aftermath at the club when he would get himself drunk with a bottle (or so) of wine. "It's OK, Sanji-kun. Let's get away from here, ne?" She pulled away and cupped his cheeks, staring into his magnificent blue eye. For some reason (and she never asked), he had hidden his left eye with his bangs. It could have been for fashion, knowing him, but she sometimes thought otherwise. She pecked his lips lightly before letting go and hooking her arm around his.

"_Hai, Nami-san," Sanji murmured, "There's this new dessert place I wanted to try out. Hungarian pastries, I think. Would you like to go there? Maybe we could pick up some pastries and go back to my place and just … relax." Usually when Sanji asked to go back to his place, it was for sex, but Nami could hear he was too tired for it. Maybe he did just want to cuddle. Well, she still didn't know how he was going to take the news, though. She bit her lower lip._

"_Whatever you want, Sanji-kun. I have something important I need to tell you regardless."_

_Sanji stared down at her, his abnormally curly brow rising at her comment. "Hm?"_

"_Not now. I want you to be sitting down first." Nami said and practically dragged him down the street. He then led her to the small café, where they sat at a table near the window, two delicious looking pastries in front of them. He hesitantly took a bite of his own before smiling – it had Sanji's seal of approval. He glanced over to Nami and noticed that she hadn't even touched it yet. _

"_Ne, Nami-san, what's wrong?" He asked, a tiny bit of whipped cream hanging off the side of his lips. _

"_Sanji-kun," Nami reached over the table to grab his hands, staring intently into his eyes. "I'm pregnant." _

~ and now ~

Sanji was chewing the inside of his lip now, lost in the memory. He had nearly fainted after she told him, and he knew his first thought was: _oh my Kami, is it even mine?_ But it did turn out to be his after all.

"We wanted to keep it, even if we weren't together. We'd make it work like we always did. I – sorry, but can I light a cigarette in here? I can feel the withdrawal setting in," He interrupted himself; he could feel the tingling in his hands. Law gave him a once over before nodding. Sanji pulled out his pack of _King Blue_ and slid one of the cancer sticks into his mouth. After he lit it and had a drag, he continued, "Nine months later, our son was born. We named him Kazuma. It was a mutual decision. We just felt drawn to the name… I was a _fucking_ parent. That was insane enough as it was." He blew a donut of smoke, watching as it slowly floated up to the ceiling, dissipating into thin air.

"Now when does Mr. Roronoa come into this?" Law asked, placing the pad down. He rested his elbows against his knees, observing the blond cook.

"Zoro? Right before Kazuma turned two he came into our lives. Nami-san and I still didn't live together, but she had Kazuma living with her and her sister, Nojiko. I would come over when I could, but it was tough. We only really had the weekends together as a family. But whenever I got an extra day off, I would spend it with Nami-san and Kazuma. Though, I noticed something different in her. Whenever she didn't have the responsibility of the kid, or whenever Nojiko could take care of him, she would lose herself – in drugs, in alcohol. It was worse than I had ever seen it. Kazuma caused a change in her, and to this day I didn't understand it. But, anyway, Zoro knew one of the barwomen – Perona. Apparently, they had been old friends or what have you. She had been trying to convince him to come to the show for years …"

~ back then ~

"_Ne, Zoro, I think you'd really enjoy it! There people there are just sooo sexy~" Perona had said over the phone for the hundredth time. Roronoa Zoro sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He had run out of excuses for now going, and well – why not treat himself? She could get him in for free. And maybe if he was smooth enough, he could go home with someone later that night. _

"_Fine." He grumbled after staying silent for a moment. "What time should I get there?"_

"_Oh, yay! I'm so excited!~" She basically squealed into his ear, prompting him to pull the phone far away from ear. "The show starts at eleven! But, I can get you in earlier, especially if you want to get in for free! Just talk to Ace and tell him I said it's OK." He could hear the smile on her face, for fuck's sake. Wait a second …_

"_Ace works at the club? What the fuck? Luffy never told me that!" Zoro's eyes widened slightly, and he imagined his best friend's older brother dancing on stage … naked. Oh, no, that's awkward. So, so awkward. He slapped a hand over his face. Bad Zoro. Bad thoughts!_

"_He's a bouncer! When he was on parole a couple of years ago, he asked Moria for the job so he could control his pyromania urges~" Perona was laughing because she totally knew that Zoro was blushing. The perverted swordsman! "Get your mind out of the gutter, baaaa~ka!" _

"_Shut up, you witch! I'll see you tonight!" And with that, Zoro hung up his phone by slamming it back onto the receiver. _

_Nightfall came too quickly for Zoro's liking, but he made his way to the club around ten o'clock, just to play it safe. He wondered if Perona would give him some free drinks, too, but that may have been pushing it. (That still wouldn't stop him from trying.) He approached the club doors, spotting Ace standing there with his lighter, flicking it on and off, on and off. It was very weird seeing Luffy's brother in this context, standing outside with a nonchalant attitude, playing with a lighter. Hell, he looked nothing like a bouncer, but he knew Ace was threatening when he needed to be. He approached the man, casually crossing his arms once he was face to face with him._

"_Oh, Zoro! Good to see you. Perona was boasting about how she managed to convinced you to come tonight," Ace grinned widely, nudging him slightly. "The club's open, so you could head right in. Just tell Kuma that I gave you the OK to head downstairs. " And then he leaned in, "Just a precaution: I think Perona's trying to hook you up with someone tonight. You know how she gets."_

_Zoro's face turned blue at the thought. He rolled his eyes. "That woman is going to be the death of me." He grumbled under his breath before sighing and slumping his shoulders dramatically. "Well, thanks Ace. Tell Luffy I said hi, yeah?"_

_"Have fun, Zoro~"_

_With that, the green haired man headed downstairs, following Ace's orders. He went straight for the bar and plopped down on a stool, looking around the dimly lit area. "This place is definitely somewhere you'd hang around," Zoro scoffed, a scowl on his face. _

"_This drink's on the house," Perona said, pushing the rum bottle toward him with a wink. "Thanks for coming, Zoro~ You're going to have fun, I promise."_

_Just as she finished speaking, a couple walked in. The man was a hot blond, bangs covering his left eye. He was thin and lanky, but Zoro could see the muscle hiding beneath his fitted shirt. On his arm was an orange-haired woman with an incredible body. Zoro's mouth hung open slightly. Yep, he was staring. No shame in that, huh? The woman seemed to notice and smirked, beckoning the blond to follow her. It was he who spoke first._

"_Oi, oi, are you the new act that Moria was talking about?" He said as he looked Zoro up and down. Not bad, to be honest. _

_Zoro smirked slightly, "Not quite – "_

"_He's my guest!" Perona interrupted, grinning from ear to ear. _

"_Ah~ Perona-chan, any friend of yours is a friend of mine," Sanji said, offering his hand to Zoro, "The name is Sanji," The octave of his voice changed dramatically from the awfully high pitch it was at two seconds earlier, "It's nice to meet you." _

"_I'm Nami," the red-head said, shaking Zoro's hand once he released the blond's. She suddenly leaned in closely, placing a hand on his chest, slowly dragging her perfectly manicured nails down his abdomen. "If you like what you see, you should come hang with us after the show," She whispered, a seductive smirk on her face, "I promise that you won't regret it." She moved away slowly, revealing her cleavage to him in her low-cut shirt._

_Zoro only grunted in reply, trying to keep a straight face, but there was no denying that familiar tightening feeling in his pants. He took a swig from his bottle. "M'looking forward to it."_

"_Ah~ Yay!" Nami clapped her hands together. Sanji's brow rose, but instead of questioning her actions he checked his watch._

"_Ne, Nami-san, let's head backstage~ We need to get ready soon!" He tugged her along before pausing suddenly and looking over his shoulder. "Oi, oi. Moss-head. We never got your name." _

_Zoro nearly spit out his drink. Moss-head! This guy had balls. He met the blond's visible blue eye with his own dark ones glaring ever so slightly before saying:_

"_Roronoa Zoro." _

~ and now ~

Sanji couldn't help but grin around his cigarette, unable to contain the joy he felt from that memory. Law reached over to write something down while the cook seemed lost in his thoughts.

"Did he go to the after party, then?"

"Mm. And Nami coaxed him into coming home with us. Poor Nojiko, though! She had to work early that Saturday morning – there was an important meeting she had to attend – so she had made Nami promise her that she'd be home before two." He scratched his cheek. "We were home a little … after three, if I remember correctly…"

~ back then ~

_Sanji entered the apartment behind the two drunkards. Nami and Zoro were attached to each other as soon as they got in the door. He had pushed her against the wall, their lips connected in a heated kiss while Zoro's hand slowly moved up her thigh. Nojiko appeared in the doorframe from the living room and crossed her arms as she watched Nami push Zoro away and drag him into her bedroom. Sanji frowned and approached the older Mikan sister, pulling her into a hug._

"_I am so sorry, Nojiko-san. I tried getting her home earlier…" He could recall Nami laughing and waving her hand, dismissing him. It was obvious that Sanji was the sober one out of the three. "Er – I can take care of Kazi from here. How is he?" _

"_It's OK, Sanji-san." She smiled softly, "He was an angel, as always –"_

"_Saaaa~aanji-kuun!"_

_Sanji made a face when Nami's whine echoed loudly in the hallway. Nojiko put her hand on his cheek before nodding in understanding. She grabbed her purse and left. Sanji glanced across the room, eyes locking on a crib with a toddler curled up with his blanket and pillow; Kazuma was fast asleep, lost in his childish dreamland. Before he had a chance to go over and see his son, Zoro emerged from Nami's room and pulled Sanji over his shoulder._

"_Oi, Marimo! Be more gentle – !"_

~ and now ~

"The rest was history."

"That will be all for today, Sanji."

Sanji stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray Law offered him. He sat up from the couch and rested his elbows against his knees. They shared a look before the cook stood and brushed the wrinkles out of his shirt. "Maybe this therapy thing won't be so bad after all." He then snorted at his own musing before turning on his heel, exiting the room with his hands shoved into his pockets.

Tomorrow would be another day, another story.

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A/N: These first two chapters are going to focus mostly on the backstory, and then Chapter 3 will start the meat and potatoes of the story! I hope you enjoy. This is going to be the story I will be spending most of my time on for the next while. _Fix You_ and _Ningyou Shima_ will be updated soon - after I get a couple of these chapters out of the way. Anyway~ Enjoy and please review!


	2. We Found Love

A/N: I hope you guys like Chapter 1, because here's Chapter 2! I want to finish this story by the end of the summer, so expect weekling updates! (Hopefully I'll be able to update faster once I finish my classes~) This one's a sad one.

Disclaimer: Don't own One Piece, yada yada yada. I was never cut out to be a pirate anyway.

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**_"Yellow diamonds in the light,  
And we're standing side by side.  
As your shadow crosses mine...  
We found love in a hopeless place."_**

"Good afternoon, Sanji."

The worn out blond cook closed the door behind him after he entered Dr. Law's sterile office. He wore a T-shirt and jeans today as opposed to the dress shirt and tie he tried to pull off the day before. He looked even more tired, if that was possible, too. Law exhaled a soft sigh, taking note of the bruises around Sanji's wrists – finger shaped, the signs of abuse. His lips were thin with worry, but he had to wait. The cook did say he would get to that. He just hoped he could help the broken man in time. There was no doubt in the therapist's mind that Sanji had his own demons to face.

He just needed to find out what those demons _were_.

"Yeah," Sanji grunted in reply, plopping down on the somewhat comfortable couch across from Law's desk. He assumed the position he had been instructed to take during his first visit and put his hands behind his head. "So, I did a lot of thinking, and I'm not sugar-coatin' anything today. You're going to hear a lot of things you won't like, especially since you're a doctor and a respected member of society." He glanced at Law through his peripheral vision before focusing on the ceiling.

"I wouldn't have it any other way, Mr. R – Sanji."

"Good. Now, where did I leave off yesterday? Oh yeah. So, you know, Nami and I thought it was going to be a one time thing. Yeah, Zoro was hot and all, and the sex was great, but we tended to stay true to each other than go out of way for others. That wasn't what happened, though. He stayed. Even after he realized that there was a kid sleeping in the next room."

~ back then ~

_The naked threesome was cuddled together under the sheets after their sexcapades. Zoro tired them out with his incredible stamina (not that they were complaining.) Nami was sandwiched in between the two men, but their arms were draped everywhere, holding on to anything – whether it be each other, the blanket, or even the headrest. The green haired man snored peacefully with his head nestled against a pillow. The orange haired woman's head was on his chest, and she slept silent and peacefully, both arms wound around Sanji's waist. The cook's head just barely touched Zoro's arm as he curled up closely to them, unconsciously craving their warmth. Honestly, this was a picture perfect moment._

_And that's when _it _started. _

_It only took two cries to wake Sanji up. He sat up quickly and looked around, feeling somewhat disoriented. That was until he released what that unforgiving ungodly noise was: Kazuma. He shook away his drowsiness and tried to get out of the bed when he released that there was an iron grip against his wrist. Zoro was glaring at him with the eyes of Satan. "What. Is. That!" He whispered loudly, but Nami didn't seem phased by either noise. _

"_Let go of me, you barbarian," Sanji hissed back, his whisper having some bite to it, "it's my kid. He's crying. Now get off before we wake Nami-san!" _

_Zoro only let go because the word 'kid' was flashing before his eyes repeatedly. There were red lights and sirens going off in his head, and his thoughts turned to the worst: he had just fucked a married couple. Now, there wasn't anything really wrong with ménage-et-trois, but a kid put in between the three could cause problems. He let go of Sanji while lost in these thoughts, getting out of bed right after the blond. The cook had put his boxers back on when he left the room, while Zoro just walked out naked. He kept his distance from the parent, staying in the doorframe of the living room, watching as Sanji leaned over the crib._

"_What's up, little guy?" Sanji asked softly, reaching to brush away his son's tears. _

"_D-Daddy," Kazuma sniffled, holding up his hands – he wanted to be picked up. He put his arms around his father's neck as Sanji lifted him up with one arm and rubbed his back with the other. "Bad dream again." _

"_Shh, it's ok, Kazi. Daddy's here," Sanji turned, nearly jumping in surprise when he saw Zoro standing there, watching him. His curly brow rose, but he was definitely glad that his son's face was buried into his neck because he had no idea how to explain why there was a naked stranger in his home. 'Go put some clothes on, you barbarian,' Sanji mouthed, whispering it very lowly to the green haired man across the room. That seemed to be his new nickname for the moss head. Zoro scowled at him before turning and heading back to the bedroom._

_Sanji, in the meantime, moved to the kitchen, rocking Kazuma in his arm, murmuring 'it's all right' to the kid every so often. He worked with one hand to put a pot on the stove and poured some milk into it before putting on the flame. He began to hum under his breath, soothing the child further. "What did you dream of, sport?" _

"_You and mommy never came home," Kazuma spoke into his father's neck. Even if he could barely hear the boy, he knew what the dream was; it happened frequently. And the problem was that _he _was barely around because of work, which probably furthered his son's problems with abandonment. Sanji chewed the inside of his cheek. He probably got that from both young parents. The cook's mom and dad abandoned him when he was eight years old, sending him to an orphanage – he never found out why. And Nami's father had never been in the picture, while a gang member killed her mother when her and Nojiko were still small. The blond sighed heavily, hugging his boy closer as the milk began to bubble. _

"_We'll always come home, Kazi. Always. We love you so much." _

_It didn't take long to get Kazuma to fall back asleep, once he was reassured that it was only a dream and the warm milk had settled his nerves. Sanji put the sleeping boy back into his crib. (He made the mental note that they really should consider getting him a bed and his own room; he was getting so big!) When he turned, Zoro was there in the doorframe again, this time clad in his briefs. He silenced the other with a finger to his lips before leading him to the kitchen, away from the child. _

"_Before you ask – yes. He's mine and Nami's." Sanji said, breaking the silence as he walked over to the fridge. He pulled out a bottle of orange juice and grabbed two glasses from the cabinet before motioning for Zoro to sit at the small table against the wall. _

"_I noticed," Zoro grunted as he took the seat, "He's got her hair and your face." _

_Sanji's shoulders slumped, "It's that easy to tell, huh?"_

"_So, let me get this straight," Zoro interjected. "You two have a kid. Are you married?" He paused, scowling a bit, "Did I just fuck a married couple?" _

"_No. Keep your pants on," Sanji sat down, placing a glass in front of the stranger. "Nami and I have a weird relationship, OK? We're afraid of marriage." He frowned a bit, looking down at the orange liquid, swirling it. "It's so unfair to the little guy." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "But – yeah. Don't worry. You're not being some Don Juan or anything." He didn't look back up at Zoro. He felt ashamed. _

"_Relax, blondie. I don't care if you guys have a kid." Zoro took a swig of his juice and shrugged. And that was that. _

~ and now ~

"He came back to the show several times after that before becoming a more permanent occurrence in our lives." Sanji was smoking again. "But he favored my company over Nami's, and I couldn't blame him at the time. She was slowly spiraling out of control. I refused to believe it, but I think that's why I subconsciously hung out with Zoro more – I wanted to get away from her." He paused, blowing out a cloud of smoke. "But I loved her." He watched it dissipate into thin air. "He learned to love her in order to be with me." He snorted. "Hell – even got her fucking pregnant just after Kazuma's third birthday."

~ back then ~

"_I'm pregnant." _

_Sanji spit out of his wine while Zoro nearly choked on the food in his mouth. Both of them stared at Nami with widened eyes, and then they shared a glance with each other. They had gone out to dinner in order to celebrate her birthday, but they never expected this information out of her._

"_How long?" "Who's?" They overlapped each other. Sanji looked nervous; Zoro was scowling. _

"_A little over a month," Nami said, refusing to look up from her plate. Her cheeks were bright red from blushing as she answered the next question: _

"_It's – er – Zoro's." _

_This time Zoro did choke on his food. _

~ and now ~

"Nine months later, Zoro, Jr., was born." Sanji glanced over to Law, noticing how he hadn't bothered to write anything down today. It made the cook feel much more comfortable in this environment; it made him feel like he wasn't being judged. (Being here was worse enough, because he knew _Zeff _was judging him right now – probably thought his foster kid was addicted to something. _If only_, Sanji thought.) "He was vain – always wanted a kid named after himself." He rolled his eyes, causing the doctor to smile.

"Now, you all lived in different places at this time, yes?" Law asked, relaxing back on his chair a little. He crossed his arms, taking note of Sanji's movements. Even if he seemed more bruised up than he had yesterday, he was acting the same. That's what it probably was: acting. He had to learn of Sanji's pain quickly, because the cook was fading away right in front of his eyes. He didn't want to put him on medication; he just wanted to get to the route of the problem and help the poor soul overcome it.

"Yes. So we all decided that – you know – maybe it was time to move in and become a family. Or whatever we were. Two kids would have been tough to just leave for Nami, and we were better men than that. So, we all pitched in and bought a two-story house that would comfortably fit the five of us. We had to make sure that someone was home at all times, so we changed around our work schedules. I had to drop my stripping gig to spend time with the kids; Zoro worked at a dojo and did some underground fighting on the side, so he cut back on his fights; Nami … well, she started to scare me." Sanji grimaced, "But – eh – we convinced her to stop taking in _those_ clients and got her off the stage and onto the floor, working as a waitress for the bar of the club instead. It was better hours, honestly, but she was so crushed that she couldn't perform anymore. But, I mean, come on. She had two kids. Now was the time to be a mom, not a stripper."

"You say she was scaring you? How so?"

"She was just … distant." He paused, staring up at the ceiling, lost in memories. "I think she was drinking on the job. She would come home inebriated sometimes. Fuck if I know what was going through her head…" A frown lined his lips, and his fingers unconsciously tapped the side of the couch. He hated talking about Nami, hated having to think about what she'd done to the family. He shook his head. "But that's not to say that we didn't have any good times. My friend, Usopp, and his wife, Kaya, were considering children, so they offered to watch Kazi and ZJ for us if we ever wanted to go on vacation or something. We eventually took up their offer when the weight of parenthood was heavy on our shoulders, and we escaped to the Alabasta Resort for a couple of days." And suddenly he broke out into a grin, "Not that we could afford it. But they were some of the best days of my life."

~ back then ~

"_You're sure you don't mind? You can still back out of this, Longnose," Sanji said loudly into his phone as he sat in the backseat of Zoro's convertible. The trio was on their way to resort, and the music was blasting so loud that Sanji could barely hear himself think – but he was OK with that. This was a time to relax. They all deserved it._

"I – I'm sure, Sanji!" _Usopp replied, _"They'll be angels, I'm sure. Oh NO PUT THAT DOWN IT DOESN'T GO IN YOUR MOUTH –_" The line went dead. Sanji glanced at his phone and shrugged. The longnose would be fine. Hopefully. He put the phone back into his pocket and relaxed back into the leather seat._

"_Now this is the life," He said with a laugh, feeling the breeze in his hair. "How much longer 'til we get there, Zoro?"_

_"Not long, we've got a couple of exits."_

_He was right. They were there in under an hour. The resort was nice; it had its own private beach for its guests, and there was a casino attached to the hotel. Sanji saluted the two after they checked in and headed straight for the slot machines, leaving the horny bunnies to fuck. (It was really hard having sex when living with a baby that wakes you up all hours of the night and a young son that enjoys sleeping in the same bed as his parents when he has a bad dream.) _

_He won a couple of thousand belli. It was a nice feeling. But the sex was so much better._

_That first night, they took a stroll on the boardwalk attaching the resort to the casino. There was a small amusement park with a couple of rides. Nami convinced Sanji and Zoro to ride the teacups with her. She spun it around quickly and laughed and laughed while Sanji began to feel queasy and Zoro told her to slow down. But by the time the ride was over, the three of them were laughing and embracing each other. _

_They were so happy. _

~ and now ~

"You seemed to have a wonderful relationship with these two people, Sanji. What happened?" Law sat up a bit, eyeing the cook as he relived every moment of his life before his eyes. He knew what this could do for a person, but Trafalgar knew he was close to the trigger that made Sanji's life turn for the worse.

"After that vacation, when we had to face reality again, the transition was easy for me and Zoro. But Nami was still there in her mind, partying and drinking. She never wanted to grow up and have responsibilities." Sanji lit his third cigarette of the visit thus far. He had a feeling he'd go through half the pack before the end of this hour. "… and at some point, she got addicted to cocaine. I have no idea who got her hooked – probably that _fucker _gave it to her."

"Who?" Law's brow rose at the malice in Sanji's tone.

"Arlong," Sanji grumbled, "She had to deal drugs for him to survive throughout high school, but usually she was strong enough not to do any herself. Something was up with her, but she wouldn't tell us. You know, she probably needed _this_," Sanji said, motioning his hand between the two of them before continuing, "She was so fucking secretive – always wanted to handle things on her own. But she knew she couldn't. She needed us, and we needed her. It was really frustrating that she wouldn't let us in, even after we had all decided that this was what we were going to do." He sighed heavily. "She kept going out and not coming home for days, which was stressful since ZJ was still a baby. I had to take off a couple of times to stay home, since I barely trusted Zoro alone with the two kids. But, then, finally … One day, I got home a little early, and I came back to find the kids all alone. On the table was a note…"

~ back then ~

_Sanji opened the door to the house, glancing around at the darkness. Something was wrong; he could just feel it. "Nami-san?" He asked hesitantly, taking a step forward. "Kazuma? Zoro?" He nearly jumped when his little boy popped his head out from the basement door and put a hand on his chest. "Jesus, Kazi. You'll give your old man a heart attack if you do that—" But he saw the look of distress on the young boy and became quiet._

"_Zoro won't stop crying, Daddy," Kazuma said, wiping his own tears. He exhaled a deep breath and walked over to his father. Sanji crouched down and wrapped his arms around the boy. _

"_What's the matter? Where's mommy?"_

_Kazuma tensed in his arms. "Mommy left." He mumbled. "She went away."_

_"What?" Sanji pulled away and looked at him, staring into those beautiful blue eyes of his innocent son._

"_She left a note." Kazuma pointed to the kitchen. _

_Sanji stood and glanced down at him before walking into the kitchen. Zoro Jr.'s cries grew louder as he spotted the piece of paper on the table with Nami's near cursive written on it. The cook felt a lump in his throat as he reached down to pick it up, and he gasped when he read it over._

_Sanji-kun, Zoro –_

_I just can't do this anymore._

_But know this:_

_I love you both so much._

_-Nami _

_P.S.: Please don't tell the boys that their mother was a coward._

_Sanji fell into one of the chairs, his legs giving out under him. Those words had never looked so final before. Nami was gone; she wasn't coming back. Little Zoro's cries were echoing in his ears, making his head throb, as tears filled his own eyes. Kazuma watched in silence, unable to understand what was going on. "That bitch," Sanji said under his breath, the tears threatening to fall. "How could she just –" His words were broken, hooded with the building emotion in his chest. He ripped his cellphone from his pocket and dialed Nami's number. When she didn't pick up, he dialed again and again and again until he finally just threw the phone down at the table. He rubbed his hands over his face, trying to calm himself down, knowing that Kazuma must have been frightened by his actions. He glanced over the note one last time before ripping off the bottom – the P.S. – and putting it in his pocket. Zoro didn't need to see that._

_He exhaled a deep sigh and stood, hurrying down the stairs to get the little crying boy. Zoro Jr. was in his crib, screaming to his heart's content. He must have been hungry. "Shh," Sanji murmured softly, lifting the little's boy into his arms. He began to rock the green haired child slowly, humming an old lullaby that Zeff used to sing when Sanji felt alone. "Umi ni nemuru mono tachi no … komori uta wa sea moon…" He could feel the tears trickling down his cheeks and cursed himself in his head, but the little song seemed to calm down Zoro's son. "You must be hungry, Zoro-kun." He spoke gently._

…

_It wasn't long until Zoro came home. He found Sanji sitting on the couch with Kazuma curled at his side and ZJ in his arms. The marimo leaned in to give the man a peck on the cheek, but then he realized how upset the cook looked. "Oi, what's wrong?" He asked in the cook's ear. _

"_Read the note on the table." Sanji replied in a whisper. _

_Zoro did what he was told before kicking down one of the chairs in anger. Kazuma whimpered against Sanji's side, and Sanji cringed at the noise. ZJ started crying again. _

_It was going to be a long night. _

~ and now ~

"Jesus," Law said under his breath, rubbing a hand over his mouth. This was not the story he expected Sanji to tell, but it was a rough tale indeed. "She just up and left, Sanji?"

"Mm," Sanji said whilst blowing a ring of smoke into the air. "And we haven't heard from her since." He shrugged, "I'm kind of numb about it now, but things had been difficult for a little while. We somehow managed. Usopp would baby sit for us when he could, and when he couldn't I asked Ace to." He paused, blinking, "I don't think I've mentioned him yet. Uh … Ace was the bouncer at Thrillar Bark. He and I – er – had some sort of fling for a while until Nami and I decided to go 'steady.' He was happy for me. Plus, he was trying to get into his parole officer's pants."

"Parole officer?"

"He's a pyromaniac. Tried to burn down a building or something. I don't really know the details and what not, but he was let out for good behavior. And Moria knew his little brother, Luffy, so he gave Ace the job. Funny story, Zoro was best friends with Luffy, too. But I'll get back to Ace, later. He plays a significant role in this story." He gave a soft laugh, "But – anyway. Zoro and I grew closer, and we decided to get married."

~ back then ~

"_Oi, Sanji." _

_It was a bad night for the both of them. The kids were already asleep, and the two of them were curled up together on the bed. Sanji was listening to Zoro's heartbeat, while Zoro stroked Sanji's hair. The cook looked up at the sound of his name, his bloodshot eyes meeting the other's exhausted ones. "Mm?"_

"_Let's get married." Zoro said softly. "I've been thinking about it for a while, actually. We were made for each other, you know? As cheesy as that sounds." He smirked slightly, moving his hand to his lover's cheek. "But what do you say?"  
_

"_I say you're crazy," Sanji replied weakly. "But I guess I'm crazy, too, because I would want to spend the rest of my life with you." He chuckled, putting his hand over Zoro's. A smile slowly formed on his lips. "Yes. I will marry you." _

_And the two kissed. _

_There was no ceremony. They only went to go get the rings together and then hurried to the government building to get the official paperwork. And that was that. With one kiss, they were married. They held hands walking out and went out to dinner, leaving the kids alone with Ace for the night. Hell, Sanji and Zoro were never so in love before. _

~ and now ~

Sanji sighed. Those years were behind them. He glanced over to Law, wanting to see his face because he nearly forgot the other man was in the room. The doctor seemed tense, watching him with a hesitation.

"It was good for a little while," He said, breaking the silence. "Kazuma was getting ready for kindergarten and ZJ turned two. We were a happy family for a while, but we were never the same after Nami left. And on top of that, we'd lost her income. I was making a decent amount of money, but Zoro had to nearly stop fighting all together – so we lost _all _of that money. I could only think of one thing to do…" He swallowed, glancing back up to the ceiling. "Don Krieg."

"Don Krieg? The mafia boss? But – how do you know him?"

"Zeff needed money to start the restaurant, so Krieg lent him the money and expected it back in ten years – with interest. Zeff managed to pay him back before I took up the sous-chef position." Sanji brushed his fingers through his hair. "So I figured I could manage the same deal."

~ back then ~

"_What brings you here, pipsqueak? I haven't seen you in ages." Krieg said, laughing from the opposite side of the table. _

"_I need money." Sanji said lowly, ashamed that he had to go to a criminal. "If I don't get any soon, I won't be able to support my kids."_

"_Is that all? For the son of Zeff, anything." Krieg grinned maliciously. "The same deal is in order. I expect the money back in ten years – with interest. Or there will be consequences." Sanji gulped and nodded, while Krieg took a sip of wine and glanced to the man on his right. "This is Gin. He'll be dealing with you throughout this agreement. He'll check up on you, make sure you're getting the payments together."_

_Gin had to be no older than Sanji and looked at him with a hesitance that made the cook think that maybe he was just a misguided soul. But there was something about the air around him that also made Sanji think that he was ruthless and cold. However, Gin stood up and walked over to him, extending his hand. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Sanji-san." _

_And as Sanji stared into Gin's eyes, he remembered something. This was not the first time he had met this man, and when the realization hit him, the other laughed. "You're—"_

"_Yes." Gin replied, holding onto his hand tightly for just a moment. "I am."_

_It had to be at least five years ago, when Sanji was still trying to make a name for himself in the restaurant. A kid walked in, broken, alone, and probably a drug addict, and demanded some food. Patty and Carne threw him out the back door once he had started a commotion, but Sanji didn't like seeing people hungry. He brought out some food to the kid, who at first rejected it, but with Sanji's persistence accepted the meal. He had been so grateful and vowed to pay Sanji back for this some day. The cook shrugged it off; he had known what starvation was like. He just didn't want someone else to feel it. He threw the guy some money before heading back inside, grinning like a fool._

_That kid was Gin. _

"_My God," Sanji whispered, "it has been a while. I see you've gotten off the streets."_

"_Someone helped me when I needed it the most." Gin replied with a soft smile._

_Krieg cleared his throat. "So, do we have a deal?" The two snapped their attention toward the mafia boss._

"Yes."

~ and now ~

"When the money came is when the fighting started. Zoro grew bitter over it, but I was just happy that we could afford to breathe a bit. He never asked where I got the money from, and he was benefitting from it, too – he just wouldn't admit it. But we began to fight about little things. It got to its worst point when Zoro Junior was around five. I was expressing some doubts about having him begin to train at the dojo so early…" Sanji closed his eyes, grinding his teeth together at the memory. "But Zoro would have nothing of my argument. He shot me down at every turn, claiming that he began to train at five, and if ZJ wanted to be just like his dad, he would start then. I thought he was too young, and I kept telling him that. I didn't want ZJ getting hurt. But, finally, when Zoro grew tired of me, he punched me – _hard _– to 'shut me the fuck up.' He'd never hit me before; I never expected it out of him, and I didn't fight back because I was too shocked. The fighting escalated after that, and it became the new norm for our family. He would never _ever_hit the kids, though. He'd only hit me if he thought I was out of line." He rolled his eyes, "which was a lot. I fought back sometimes…

But I was becoming vulnerable, and I began talking to Ace again."

~ back then ~

_Sanji's cheek was beginning to swell, the throbbing pain giving him a headache. He wiped his eyes, moving away the tears that had threatened to fall down his cheeks. This was ridiculous; Zoro's mood had changed for the worst, and there was nothing he could do to fix this. He thought Zoro might have loved him, but Sanji must have guessed wrong. He held back his sobs (he was a man, damn it!) and exhaled a deep, deep breath. The kids weren't home yet. It was too early in the day, and Zoro wasn't coming home that night. _

_So Sanji picked up his cellphone and curled up on the couch, listening to it ring and ring and ring before:_

"_Sanji-san?" The familiar voice made him feel just a bit of hope. "Do you need me to watch the kids tonight?" Sanji was unable to speak for a moment, just listening to Ace's voice, remembering what they had years ago before any of this happened. "Sanji? Are you there?"_

"Ace," He said weakly, feeling the sobs bubbling up in his chest. "Ace, I need you to come over. Please. I need you." He clutched the phone tightly, cursing as the tears ran down his cheeks.

"_What's wrong?" The other's tone changed; Sanji could hear how concerned he was. _

"_Just come over." And with that, Sanji hung up._

_When Ace arrived, Sanji pulled him into a hug, not wanting to let go. The other was shocked to see the bruises on his face at arms, and he demanded to know what happened. He hated seeing Sanji like this; the cook was supposed to be happy! He had been pleased with his choice in Zoro, but he was beginning to have his doubts. Sanji sounded so helpless on the phone, and Ace would do anything to see him smile again – especially after everything that had happened. He waited for the blond's answer, a stern but gentle look in his concerned eyes. _

_Instead of telling him, Sanji kissed him._

~ and now ~

"We were careful," Sanji murmured. "We were really careful. No one knew except us. The kids didn't understand it, so they accepted it. Zoro didn't find out until two years later." He blew out smoke from his latest cigarette, "Though, I wish he hadn't.

"Sanji-san," Law interrupted. There was compassion in his eyes for the broken man in front of him. "I'm going to have to cut you off here. Your hour is over. We will continue tomorrow."

"Is that so?" Sanji asked, sitting up. He rested his elbows against his knees, cigarette dangling from his lips in a nonchalant manner. He looked Law in the eye before he stood, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Do I really have to go home?"

This was said in a very soft whisper, probably not meant for Law's ears, but the therapist had heard him anyway. If there were a way that he could, he would take Sanji away from that dysfunctional home, or get Zoro counseling – ugh, if only there were a way to help more than he could now! Law didn't say anything, instead watching the cook walk out. He had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.

* * *

A/N: Hope you guys liked it! Please review~ Next chapter brings in the present day Roronoa-Black family!


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